Everyone's favorite clone is back, and no I don't mean Dark Pit

Nintendo announced Super Smash Bros Ultimate at E3 last week and with it came the surprise that every playable character from every Smash game ever would be part of the title's roster.

The biggest surprise to many with this announcement was the re-inclusion of Solid Snake, who had appeared as one of the series' first guest characters in Super Smash Bros. Brawl on Wii, but had been left out of the next titles on Wii U and 3DS.

The hero of Metal Gear's return seemed doubtful due to his previous absence as well as series creator and director Hideo Kojima having left Konami after completing Metal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom Pain making his return all the more endearing with the tag line "everyone is here."

It was actually Kojima that approached Smash Bros. series director Masahiro Sakurai to get Solid Snake added to Nintendo's mascot fighter though he would need to wait a good number of years to see his wish realized.

Snake and Metal Gear have a 31-year history behind them, so let's dive into a brief history of the character and how he found his way into Super Smash Bros. Brawl.

Spoilers for Metal Gear through Metal Gear Solid will follow.

Metal Gear

Solid Snake got his start as a world-class soldier in the original Metal Gear in 1987 on the MSX2 computer system before eventually getting a less faithful NES port (the Nintendo version didn't even include the fight with the title machine), so Snake left his mark early on Nintendo's platform.

In the original Metal Gear, Snake is tasked with infiltrating Outer Heaven and stopping the weapon of mass destruction Metal Gear. He is later betrayed by his leader and mentor, Big Boss, who reveals himself as the leader of Outer Heaven. Snake defeats Big Boss, but the two would face off again in Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake where Big Boss would be defeated once and for all.

Solid Snake became the iconic video game hero we know him as today in the PlayStation game Metal Gear Solid which released in 1998. The game is lauded for its advancements in gaming technology and storytelling quickly becoming an influential title.

This game sees Solid Snake infiltrating Shadow Moses Island to take down the remnants of Big Boss' forces FOXHOUND and stop Metal Gear Rex. He is confronted by their leader, Liquid Snake, who reveals that both of them are clones of the world's greatest soldier Big Boss.

Solid Snake would go on to appear in Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty, Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots, the spin-off Metal Gear Acid series and the MGS remake for the GameCube, Metal Gear Solid: The Twin Snakes, leaving him as one of the most storied icons in gaming history.

Super Smash Bros.

Hideo Kojima approached Masahiro Sakurai to try and get Solid Snake added to the roster of Super Smash Bros. Melee since the pair know each other personally, but the game was too late in its developoment cycle to include Snake when it launched in 2001. Metal Gear Solid: The Twin Snakes didn't release on the GameCube until 2004.

We'd need to wait alongside Kojima until 2008 when Super Smash Bros. Brawl released for the Wii with Solid Snake revealed as the first third party character to appear in the Smash series (with the second being Sonic the Hedgehog also joining Brawl's roster). Snake was initially teased and revealed at the end of the E3 trailer for Brawl and was given his very own stage for Shadow Moses Island.

Snake was given a very unique move set when compared to the rest of the Smash Bros. cast relying largely on a wide variety of explosives, firearms and high-tech gadgets along with his trademark close-quarters-combat fighting style meaning he could effectively set up traps and attack from afar more so than any other character.

Snake was left out off the roster of Super Smash Bros. for Wii U and 3DS with new third party characters like Pac-man, Mega Man, Cloud, Ryu and Bayonetta joining the fray, and Kojima revealed that he didn't have any input with Smash 4.

"I'm not working on that game, but I don't think it's likely [that Snake will return]," said Kojima via The Escapist. "If Mr. Sakurai is watching this, hopefully we see Snake."